Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Colombia
Colombia: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 8.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Colombia, 1975–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Colombia is 8.4%, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 12.4% on the previous year and down 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Colombia peaked at 20.5% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 3.8%, in 1980.
That places Colombia 46th out of 185 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 50 years of available data.
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Colombia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 10.5% | — |
| 1976 | 10.4% | -1.4% |
| 1977 | 9.4% | -9.6% |
| 1978 | 8.1% | -13.5% |
| 1979 | 8.9% | +9.5% |
| 1980 | 3.8% | -57.0% |
| 1981 | 8.1% | +112.3% |
| 1982 | 9.1% | +11.9% |
| 1983 | 11.1% | +22.3% |
| 1984 | 13.0% | +16.8% |
| 1985 | 13.9% | +6.8% |
| 1986 | 13.0% | -6.1% |
| 1987 | 10.9% | -16.2% |
| 1988 | 10.1% | -7.2% |
| 1989 | 8.8% | -13.0% |
| 1990 | 10.2% | +15.1% |
| 1991 | 10.1% | -0.3% |
| 1992 | 9.4% | -6.8% |
| 1993 | 7.8% | -17.3% |
| 1994 | 7.6% | -2.6% |
| 1995 | 8.7% | +14.7% |
| 1996 | 11.8% | +35.4% |
| 1997 | 12.1% | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 15.0% | +23.6% |
| 1999 | 20.1% | +33.7% |
| 2000 | 20.5% | +2.3% |
| 2001 | 15.0% | -26.7% |
| 2002 | 14.5% | -3.7% |
| 2003 | 13.2% | -8.7% |
| 2004 | 13.7% | +3.8% |
| 2005 | 11.1% | -19.4% |
| 2007 | 10.3% | -7.3% |
| 2008 | 10.5% | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 11.3% | +7.6% |
| 2010 | 11.2% | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 10.3% | -7.8% |
| 2012 | 10.0% | -3.2% |
| 2013 | 9.2% | -7.2% |
| 2014 | 8.8% | -4.8% |
| 2015 | 8.6% | -2.6% |
| 2016 | 8.9% | +4.1% |
| 2017 | 9.1% | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 9.4% | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 10.3% | +9.8% |
| 2020 | 15.6% | +51.4% |
| 2021 | 13.9% | -10.7% |
| 2022 | 10.5% | -24.2% |
| 2023 | 9.6% | -9.0% |
| 2024 | 9.6% | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 8.4% | -12.4% |
Colombia compared with similar countries
- Colombia's 8.4% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.8%, 1.4× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Colombia's 8.4% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 6.3%, 1.3× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Colombia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | +112.3% | 3.8% | 8.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 9.5% | 8.1% | 10.5% | 5 |
| 1980s | 10.2% | 3.8% | 13.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 11.3% | 7.6% | 20.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.3% | 10.3% | 20.5% | 9 |
| 2010s | 9.6% | 8.6% | 11.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.3% | 8.4% | 15.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Colombia
More reference data data for Colombia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 11.17 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 19.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.4113 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 19.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 9.81 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 2.67 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 61.25 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 94.56 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.24 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Colombia?
- Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Colombia was 8.4% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Colombia?
- The highest recorded value was 20.5% in 2000.
- What is the lowest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Colombia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.8% in 1980.
- How does Colombia rank for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates?
- Colombia ranks 46th out of 185 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates rising or falling in Colombia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Colombia data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 50 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.